Combination delivery box and board game

ABSTRACT

A combination food delivery box and game board includes a foldable cardboard delivery box, preferably a pizza delivery box, having a box bottom and a box top pivotally attached to the box bottom with both the bottom and the top having surfaces on which are imprinted game boards for such board games as checkers, chess, tic-tac-toe, and backgammon and the sides of the box bottom having integrally formed thereon punch-out game playing pieces corresponding to the particular game board imprinted on the surface—inside or outside—of the box top or bottom whereupon after the food is removed, the game playing pieces can be punched out along their perforations and the delivery box can be laid open so that the surface with the game board is exposed for commencing play of the board game thereby enhancing an activity such as a pizza party.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to boxes and board games, and more particularly pertains to the incorporation of one or more board games with the delivery box to enhance the dining experience.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Take-out and curbside or home delivery of meals from restaurants of all types is common with the delivery containers or boxes being primarily manufactured from some type of plastic, as Styrofoam, or from paperboard or cardboard. The boxes and containers generally have imprinted on one surface, such as the exterior top surface of the box top, the company name and logo, phone number, and address; and after the food items have been removed the boxes and containers are discarded. One of the most frequently and commonly store purchased or delivered food items is pizza, and pizzas—one or more—are delivered in low square-shaped paperboard or cardboard boxes whose sides, top, and bottom are interconnected along perforations to allow for easy and quick closing and opening. Pizza is an ideal meal and is often ordered for pizza parties that can include games, movies, and other forms of entertainment. The games may include video games and board games, but whatever forms or formats the games are embodied in they are separate elements from the delivery box or container. Thus, in order to enhance a weeknight or weekend party, it would be desirable to combine or incorporate a board game, such as checkers, tic-tac-toe, chess, or backgammon, with the delivery box.

The prior art thus discloses a variety of containers that incorporate and are convertible or transformable into board games and game playing pieces.

For example, the Frerebeau patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,558) discloses an educational game wherein the box is divided into compartments that contain various types of drawing materials such as sheets of paper, designs, patterns, and glue.

The Mason patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,356) discloses a cardboard container that is convertible from a fast-food carryout tray into a hand puppet by manipulating preformed tear and fold lines that extend along and about the sides, top, and bottom of the container.

The Capo patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,928) discloses a dual-purpose carton that after having served its original use, the carton can be folded into several compartments to serve as a caddy for snacks, writing materials, and artist's materials.

The Shin patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,548) discloses a container that includes a plurality of decorative punch-out figures formed on the surfaces of the container and which can be punched out after the container's original purpose has been fulfilled.

The Gaffney et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,517) discloses a chess game apparatus that includes a three-dimensional prehistoric scene superimposed upon the housing for the game.

The Schultz patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,941) discloses a generally rectangular-shaped package having cantilevered sections that are secured to the package by foldable support tabs.

The McClung et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,711 B2) discloses an activity box wherein at least one section of the box is separable from the box to serve as a target apparatus or as an object to be thrown at the target apparatus.

Nonetheless, despite the ingenuity of the above devices, there remains a need for a food container and delivery box that combines both the ability to hold food item(s) therein until they reach their delivery destination and an integral game board and playing pieces that can be disposed for use after the food item(s) have been removed from the delivery box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends a combination food delivery box and board game, with the preferred food delivery box being a paperboard or cardboard pizza delivery box and the board games incorporated therein including checkers, chess, tic-tac-toe, and backgammon.

The paperboard or cardboard food delivery box is a low, square-shaped box having an openable and closable box top pivotally connected to the bottom of the box. The top of the box includes an exterior top surface, an opposite inside top surface, and a downwardly extending continuous top lip with the top lip having side, rear, and front lip portions. The bottom of the delivery box includes an inner bottom surface, an opposite exterior bottom surface, and an upwardly projecting continuous bottom lip with the bottom lip having rear, front, and side bottom lip portions.

On at least one of the surfaces a board game is imprinted with two preferable surfaces being the inside top surface and the exterior bottom surface. The game playing pieces are integrally incorporated into the delivery box in the form of perforated or punch-out game pieces arranged along either side bottom lip portions of bottom of the delivery box. After the food item, such as the pizza, has been removed from the box, the game playing pieces can be punched out and removed from the particular side bottom lip portion, and the surface on which the board game is imprinted can be laid open for commencing play of the board game.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a combination delivery box and game board wherein after the food item(s) stored within the delivery box are removed therefrom, at least one of the surfaces on the top of the box or the bottom of the box can be utilized for playing a board game.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a combination delivery box and game board wherein the storage of food item(s) within the delivery box doesn't mar or impair the use of one surface of the top or bottom of the delivery box for playing the particular board game.

It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a combination delivery box and game board wherein a plurality of punch-out game pieces are integrally formed on the sides of the delivery box and selectively removable therefrom.

It is still yet another objective of the present invention to provide a combination delivery box and game board that when the delivery box is utilized for delivery of a pizza the delivery of the pizza enhances the pizza party by including a self-contained board game.

It is still yet a further objective of the present invention to provide a combination delivery box and game board that allows space on one of the surfaces of the top of the box or the bottom of the box for advertising and the restaurant name and logo.

These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating the punch-out game pieces located on one long side of the delivery box;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating a board game imprinted on one side of the delivery box;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating the board game of checkers imprinted on one side of the box with checker game playing pieces disposed on some of the squares of the checker board game;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating the board game of tic-tac-toe imprinted on the inside surface of the bottom of the delivery box;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating the board game of chess imprinted on the inside surface of the box top of the delivery box;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating representative game playing pieces having the various chess pieces printed on at least one surface of each punch-out game playing piece;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating several representative punch-out game pieces for use with the checkers board game;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating the punch-out game pieces for the chess board game disposed along one long side of the delivery box with the figures of the various chess pieces shown on at least one side of the punch-out game pieces;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating an alternative embodiment for the punch-out game pieces with the alternative game piece including supporting elements disposed for keeping the game piece upright on the game board;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating the alternative embodiment for the game piece first shown in FIG. 9 with the supporting and locking elements disposed to the use position;

FIG. 11 is a rear elevational view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating the board game of backgammon imprinted on the bottom surface of the box bottom of the delivery box; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the combination delivery box and board game of the present invention illustrating several game pieces and one die for use with the board game of backgammon first shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-12 is a combination delivery box and game board apparatus 10 for enhancing a party by providing a delivery box that is convertible into a board game so that the delivery box has a dual use capability: storage of a food item(s) for delivery to a residence or business, and conversion of the empty box into a board game.

Thus, illustrated in FIGS. 1-11 is a portable, preferably cardboard delivery box 12 designed and adapted to temporarily hold food items, such as pizzas, for sale and delivery to off-site destinations such as homes and businesses. The delivery box 12 is generally square-shaped and has a low profile. The delivery box 12 includes a box bottom 14 having an inner bottom surface 16 and an opposite exterior bottom surface 18. The food item, such as the pizza, would set or be laid upon the inner bottom surface 16 of the box bottom 14. In addition, the box bottom 14 includes a continuous upwardly projecting bottom lip 20 that surrounds the inner bottom surface 16. The bottom lip 20 is further delineated by having front 22, rear 24, and side bottom lip portions 26.

Pivotally interconnected to the box bottom 14, and specifically interconnected to the rear bottom lip portion 24 of the bottom lip 20, is a box top 28. The box top 28 includes an exterior top surface 30 and an opposite inside top surface 32. In addition, the box top 28 includes a downwardly projecting continuous top lip 34, with the top lip 34 further delineated by having front 36, rear 38, and side top lip portions 40. As will be hereinafter further described, various types or kinds of game boards for various types of board games are imprinted on at least one of the four surfaces: the inner bottom surface 16 and the exterior bottom surface 18 of the box bottom 14, and the inside top surface 32 and the exterior top surface 30 of the box top 28.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2-4 and 6-12, the combination delivery box and game board apparatus 10 includes game playing pieces for each respective board game with the game playing pieces integrally adjoined to the delivery box 12 and selectively detachable therefrom. Specifically, the plurality of game playing pieces are integrally formed in and along one or both of the side bottom lip portions 40 of the box bottom 14 as preferably cylindrical punch-out game playing pieces that are punched out along perforations for removal and use. The game playing pieces can also be integrally formed on and along the front bottom lip portion 26. The perforations allow for the easy detachment of the game playing pieces from the side bottom lip portions 40. The game playing pieces have imprinted on one or both surfaces figures or shapes denotative of the particular board game that is incorporated with that respective combo delivery box and game board apparatus 10.

Illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, 7, and 11 are various representative game boards imprinted on at least one of the aforementioned surfaces 16, 18. 30, and 32 for playing various types or kinds of board games. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the checkers board game 42 is imprinted on the exterior bottom surface 18 of the box bottom 14 (the delivery box 12 is shown upside down in FIGS. 2 and 3). The checkers board game 42 is divided up into an array of squares for placement and movement thereon of the appropriate game playing pieces. FIG. 4 illustrates the tic-tac-toe board game 44 imprinted on the inner bottom surface 16 of the box bottom 14 with the appropriate playing grid imprinted on the inner bottom surface 16.

FIG. 5 illustrates the chess board game 46 imprinted on the inside top surface 32 of the box top 28 with the discrete squares of the chess board game 46 laid out in the conventional eight by eight grid. Finally, FIG. 11 illustrates the backgammon board game 48 imprinted on the exterior bottom surface 18 of the delivery box 12.

As was earlier noted, a plurality of game playing pieces are required for each board game, such as board games 42, 44, 46, and 48. The game playing pieces are integrally formed or incorporated on one or both side bottom lip portions 26 and generally comprise cylindrical paperboard or cardboard members linearly arranged along on one or both side bottom lip portions 26. Thus, FIG. 2 shows a plurality of checker game playing pieces 50 for the board game of checkers 42 arranged along one side bottom lip portion 26, and FIG. 7 illustrates three individual checkers game playing pieces 50 with two pieces 50 denoting one color (red or black) and one checker game playing piece 50 denoting the other color (either red or black). FIG. 3 illustrates the apertures 52 in which the game playing pieces 50 are seated and that remain when all the checker game playing pieces 50 have been punched out from their perforations and detached from the delivery box 12.

FIG. 4 illustrates the tic-tac-toe game playing pieces 54 for the board game of tic-tac-toe 44 with the tic-tac-toe game playing pieces 54 having the appropriate “+” and “O” indicia or markings 56 and 58 imprinted on one or both surfaces of the game playing pieces 54. FIG. 4 shows four of the tic-tac-toe game playing pieces 54 punched out of their apertures 52 while the other tic-tac-toe game playing pieces 54 remain within their apertures 52.

FIGS. 6 and 8 illustrate the representative game playing pieces 60 for the chess board game 46 with the indicia or markings of the particular chess figures imprinted on both sides of the chess game playing pieces 60 (outlines of representative chess figures are shown on only one side of the chess game playing pieces 60). Thus, one chess game playing piece 60 includes an outline or figure of a pawn 62, one chess game playing piece 60 includes an outline or figure of a rook 64, one chess game playing piece 60 includes an outline or figure of a knight 66, one chess game playing piece 60 includes an outline or figure of a bishop 68, one chess game playing piece 60 includes an outline or figure of a queen 70, and finally one chess game playing piece 60 includes an outline or figure of a king 72. In FIG. 8 all the chess game playing pieces 60 for one color (either black or white) are shown still in the attached disposition within the apertures 52 formed along one bottom lip side portion 26 of the box bottom 14. It should noted that the FIGS. 62-72 imprinted on at least one side of the chess game playing pieces 60 can be combined with the colored indicia denotative of the checker game playing pieces 50 so that each game playing piece can include indicia or markings for two different board games such as checkers and chess on their opposite sides.

FIG. 12 illustrates the game playing pieces for the backgammon board game 48 and which include two checkers playing pieces 74 and one die 76. FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate an alternative embodiment for the game playing pieces 50, 54, 60, 74, and 76 shown in FIGS. 1-4, 6-8, and 12. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 include a square-shaped game playing piece 78 having a body portion 80 with the body portion 80 having a front side 82, a rear side 84, and a pair of foldable legs 86 pivotally mounted to the rear side 84 at the lower end thereof. The legs 86 are separated by a slot 88, and mounted to the rear side 84 and vertically extending therealong is a stabilization member 90. The stabilization member 90 is pivotally mounted to the rear side 84 so that after the legs 86 have been folded downward and perpendicular to the body portion 80, as shown in FIG. 9, the stabilization member 90 can be slightly pivoted to one side or the other to lock the legs 86 in place and to prevent them from folding back up adjacent to the rear side 84 of the body portion 80 of the game playing piece 78. Thus, the legs 86 and the stabilization member 90 allow the game playing piece 78 of FIGS. 9 and 10 to be disposed upright on the respective surfaces 16, 18, 30, and 32 of the delivery box 12 on which the particular game 42, 44, 46, or 48 is imprinted. The front side 82 of the body portion 80 will have the desired game piece indicia or markings imprinted thereon comparable to the indicia or markings imprinted on the game playing pieces 50, 54, and 60 shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous alterations, modifications, variations, and changes may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and the aim, purpose, intent, and goal of the appended claims is to cover and encompass all such modifications, alterations, variations, and changes as fall within the true and authentic spirit, scope, and ambit of the invention. 

1. A combination delivery box and board game apparatus, comprising: a generally square-shaped delivery box; the delivery box including a box top pivotally interconnected to a box bottom; the box bottom including an inner bottom surface and an opposite exterior bottom surface; a continuous upwardly projecting bottom lip surrounding the inner bottom surface; the continuous upwardly projecting bottom lip including a front bottom lip portion, a rear bottom lip portion, and opposed side bottom lip portions; the box top including an exterior top surface and an opposed inside top surface; a continuous downwardly projecting top lip surrounding the inside top surface; the continuous downwardly projecting top lip including a front top lip portion, a rear top lip portion, and opposed side top lip portions; a board game imprinted on at least one surface that includes the inner bottom surface, the exterior bottom surface, the exterior top surface, and the inside top surface; a plurality of game playing pieces integrally formed on at least one of the side bottom lip portions and capable of selective detachment therefrom; and whereupon after the food item has been removed from the delivery box the delivery box is disposed for utilizing the game board and the game playing pieces are detachable from the respective side bottom lip portions of the bottom lip for commencing play of the board game.
 2. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 1 wherein the board game is tic-tac-toe.
 3. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 2 wherein the board game is chess.
 4. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 3 wherein the board game is checkers.
 5. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 4 wherein the board game is backgammon.
 6. A combination delivery box and board game apparatus, comprising: a generally square-shaped delivery box; the delivery box including a box top pivotally interconnected to a box bottom; the box bottom including an inner bottom surface and an opposite exterior bottom surface; a continuous upwardly projecting bottom lip surrounding the inner bottom surface; the box top including an exterior top surface and an opposite inside top surface; a continuous downwardly projecting top lip surrounding the inside top surface; a board game imprinted on at least one surface that includes the inner bottom surface, the exterior bottom surface, the exterior top surface and the inside top surface; a plurality of game playing pieces integrally formed on the continuous upwardly projecting bottom lip and capable of selective detachment therefrom; and whereupon after the food item has been removed from the delivery box the delivery box can be disposed for utilizing the game board and the game playing pieces can be detached from the upwardly projecting bottom lip for commencing play of the board game.
 7. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 6 wherein the board game is tic-tac-toe.
 8. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 7 wherein the board game is checkers.
 9. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 8 wherein the board game is chess.
 10. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 9 wherein the board game is backgammon.
 11. A combination delivery box and board game apparatus, comprising: a delivery box having a box top pivotally interconnected to a box bottom; the box bottom including an inner bottom surface and an opposite exterior bottom surface; a continuous upwardly projecting bottom lip surrounding the inner bottom surface; the box top including an exterior top surface and an opposite inside top surface; a continuous downwardly projecting top lip surrounding the inside top surface; a plurality of game playing pieces integrally formed on the continuous upwardly projecting bottom lip and capable of selective detachment therefrom; and whereupon after the food item has been removed from the delivery box the delivery box can be disposed for utilizing the game board and the game playing pieces can be detached from the upwardly projecting bottom lip so that play of the board game can commence.
 12. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 11 wherein each game playing piece includes a body portion having a front side and a rear side.
 13. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 12 wherein a pair of foldable legs is pivotally attached to the rear side of the body portion of the game playing piece.
 14. The combination delivery box and board game apparatus of claim 13 wherein each game playing piece includes a stabilization member pivotally secured to the rear side and which is pivoted for locking the legs into the use position after the legs have been disposed perpendicular to the body portion. 